Now available in a revised and expanded edition, this book offers the first comprehensive critical examination of one of America's most celebrated living artists. Chuck Close reinvented portraiture almost four decades ago with a series of nine-foot-tall, black-and-white likenesses of himself and fellow artists, which astonished an art world dominated by minimalism and conceptualism. Close has since explored an array of mediums. This lavish, large-format volume is the first to deal with all aspects of Close's career and to place them in a biographical context. Christopher Finch's insight into CLose's achievement comes by way of hundreds of studio visits and thousands of hours of conversation since he met Close in 1968. Finch provides an engaging, in-depth analysis of Close's portraits on canvas, from the continuous-tone airbrushed heads of the 1960s and '70s to the painterly "prismatic grids" of the past two decades. The more than 300 illustrations features in the book survey almost all of CLose's paintings, including his most recent work, together with a selection of his prints and multiples, and examples of his photographic oeuvre. This beautifully designed volume reveals not only the variety of pictorial strategies Close has devised, but the extrordinary personality of the artist behind the work.
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Now available in a revised and expanded edition, this book offers the first comprehensive critical examination of one of America's most celebrated living artists. Chuck Close reinvented portraiture almost four decades ago with a series of nine-foot-tall, black-and-white likenesses of himself and fellow artists, which astonished an art world dominated by minimalism and conceptualism.
About the Author
Christopher Finch was born in Guernsey, studied at Chelsea Art School and has written for Art & Artists, Art International and British Vogue. Finch met Chuck Close when he was Curator at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Since then he has written dozens of books on art, popular culture, and social history.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is large! And it has excellent reproductions and bio of the life of this magical man. Chuck Close has made a career,while battling disabilities that would have stopped lesser men.Christopher Finch noted art writer,assists Close in making this book autobiographical and personal,like the unpretentious Mr. Close.
The author and the artist together guide you through the evolution of Chuck Close noted modern portrait artist. You follow from air brush, to finger painting,collage disc painting, to the new color geometric masterpieces.
Chuck personally supervised color choices in the lay-out and it is truly impressive. 95 percent of his major work is here. Self portraits,friends , his wife etc. are all vividly executed. Seeing Chuck in action shows the scale of the major works!The works are huge,and the pictures show the studio environment he works in.
I was fortunate to attend his lecture,with both men ,and it Chuck says this is the definitive book!
The author and the artist together guide you through the evolution of Chuck Close noted modern portrait artist. You follow from air brush, to finger painting,collage disc painting, to the new color geometric masterpieces.
Chuck personally supervised color choices in the lay-out and it is truly impressive. 95 percent of his major work is here. Self portraits,friends , his wife etc. are all vividly executed. Seeing Chuck in action shows the scale of the major works!The works are huge,and the pictures show the studio environment he works in.
I was fortunate to attend his lecture,with both men ,and it Chuck says this is the definitive book!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By N. Bohac
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This really does not need to be that long. I am a huge fan of Chuck Close and have been so for years now. My personal library reflects this, with four other books and catalogs spanning his career. These books get brought out on a semi-consistent basis, as they all have something important to say about this mans art.
"Chuck Close: WORK" is a definitive piece that fills in any small holes about the story of this artist that might be obscured in some out of print catalog, as well as talking heavily about his process. If you are in the market for a book that gives the full Chuck Close biography while supplementing itself with beautiful illustrations and plenty of dialog about his process, do not hesitate to purchase this book.
"Chuck Close: WORK" is a definitive piece that fills in any small holes about the story of this artist that might be obscured in some out of print catalog, as well as talking heavily about his process. If you are in the market for a book that gives the full Chuck Close biography while supplementing itself with beautiful illustrations and plenty of dialog about his process, do not hesitate to purchase this book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Alan Fishman
Format:Hardcover
Christopher Finch has done a wonderful job of revealing both Chuck Close the man and the artist. This one of the best art retrospectives I have ever actually 'read' and enjoyed.
I too had a chance to hear both artist and author speak this week. While Chuck did say this is the definitive book on his work one can hope that he still has many productive years left to continue to awe and amaze his many admirers.
I too had a chance to hear both artist and author speak this week. While Chuck did say this is the definitive book on his work one can hope that he still has many productive years left to continue to awe and amaze his many admirers.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Christopher Finch and the Artist
Christopher Finch, forty years a friend of artist Chuck Close, produced two brilliant works on the painter in 2010--Chuck Close: Life, and Chuck Close: Work. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Printzessdea
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely
...book with amazing quality pictures. It was what I was hoping for, and all Chuck Close fans should own it!
Published 3 months ago by Ruben M.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Big paintings need a big book
Yes, its a big book and it's a great one about a great living artist. The story here is about the process Chuck Close goes through to overcome obstacles and the process of how he... Read more
Published 11 months ago by craig61
5.0 out of 5 stars
great book...very detailed
This is a great book. It really shows the genius of Chuck Close.
I really got a sense of the life and work of this powerful artist. Read more
I really got a sense of the life and work of this powerful artist. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Leon Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phenomenal
The man who forged his own highly distinctive pictorial art, the man who proved that portraiture was not dead, the man who transcended photo-realism, the man with dyslexia and... Read more
Published on January 8, 2011 by Piers Moktan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Close up
A heavy weight monograph. Literally. The scale of the publication gives your arms a workout and is exactly what is needed to get up close to the work and examine the process of... Read more
Published on November 14, 2010 by Stephen Feldman
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best
Probably the best book I've ever had. As a painter I like the big good quality pictures and method pictures. This is it. Buy it now!
Published on September 16, 2010 by Peter
5.0 out of 5 stars
My husband is a HUGE fan.
This was a birthday gift for my husband. He already had the companion book, "Life". He had been coveting this book for awhile, then saw the Chuck Close exhibit at the Corcoran... Read more
Published on August 25, 2010 by A. Grace
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chuck Close | Work - Christopher Finch (Prestel)
It is befitting the work of painter Chuck Close that he has a large format coffee table collection of his mammoth sized groundbreaking portraiture output. Read more
Published on June 11, 2010 by BlogOnBooks
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice coffee-table book
Came quick in the mail and in great shape as advertised. Looks like a great book but can't check it out until I give it as a Christmas gift.
Published on December 11, 2009 by T. Knoll
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